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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348034403903 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • brandon_ike@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Brandon Ike" <brandon_ike213@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: brandon_ike@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 11:28:05 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE

From The Desk of Mr.BRANDON IKE.
Auditing and Accounting Unit.
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. (UBN)
Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +234 8034403903
Email: brandon_ike@yahoo.com

Courtesy of Business opportunity, I take liberty anchored on strong
desire to solicit and crave your indulgence to make this project request for
a
joint business transaction which is of mutual beneficial and risk free
transaction with you and I hope it will not come to you as a surprise,
hence I plead for your pardon. I am Mr.Brandon Ike., the Auditing and
Accounting Unit, Foreign Operations Department Union Bank Of Nigeria, Plc. I
have
an urgent and confidential business proposal for you. On June 6th, Engr.
Steve Moore made a numbered time (Fixed Deposit) valued at US$15.500.000.00
(Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in my
branch, on maturity I sent a routine notification to his forwarded address
but
got no reply after months we send a reminder and finally we discovered from
his contract employee (Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation) that Late
Engr.Steve Moore died from an automobile accident, on further investigation
it was clear that he died without making a will. All attempts by the
Australian Embassy to trace his next of kin were fruitless.

I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Late Engr.
Steve Moore did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official
documents including his deposit document in my bank. The total sum of
US$15,500,000.00 is still in my bank as dormant account. According to
Nigerian banking law and procedures herein stipulates that any account
abandoned or dormant for a period of some years is subjected to be
closed and all money contained therein will be forfeited to the Government
Treasury Account as “Unclaimed Bills”. Now it is being speculated that the
above
sum will be transferred into Government Treasury Account as unclaimed funds
on or before March 2006 as long as the account owner is certified death
and nobody comes forward to claim it.

The reason for you to present your good self as the next of kin in
occasioned by the fact that the deceased customer was a foreigner. Mode
of sharing after the successful completion of the transfer is as follows,
for the role you will be expected to play in the whole exercise, we have
agreed to give you twenty five (25%) of the total sum, and 5% has been set
aside for expenses we are going to encounter by both parties in the process
of this transaction and the remaining 70% shall be for my colleagues and
I. There is no risk involved. I am using my position and connection in the
bank here to do all the document work for the transaction and I shall obtain
all necessary documents and letter of administration in your fovour for
this transfer. This transaction is risk free guaranteed, if you are in
support of the aforementioned, you are urged to reply this letter indicating
your
readiness and interest to participate in the business. When repling ,
you are advised to sent these details bellow,so that i can tell you on the
next step forward.

1.FULL NAME
2.CONTACT ADDRESS
3.TEL/FAX NUMBER
4.MOBILE NUMBER
5.AGE
6.OCCUAPATION
7.SEX



I quite believe that you will protect our interest by keeping this
business Top Secret and Confidential, as your interest will be equally
protected
in order to achieve and maintain maximum confidentiality. Trust to hear
from you on the above Telephone number: +234 8034403903 or Email:
brandon_ike@yahoo.com as I count on your earliest response.

Yours truly,
Mr.BRANDON IKE.
Tel: +234 8034403903



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam